All of us need a short getaway. Especially if it’s escaping to a beautiful place like Phuket.

Before you come up with excuses like: a) there is no time b) a holiday is too expensive or c) we have no time to plan for it — please continue to read this post.

The beautiful thing about budget airlines is that they make traveling so affordable. A two-way ticket to Phuket only costs S$140 (if you book early, it’s probably much cheaper), and in this modern world, booking an air-ticket online is really as simple as getting a movie ticket.

I’ve taken cruises to Phuket before, but these were usually one day trips and I never got to see much of the place. But I’m sure that most people who have been to Phuket would have heard of Patong Beach and Phuket town.

If you are telling me that you have no time to plan for a proper holiday, listen up. The choice of accommodation for this trip was only decided when we were at the airport waiting to check-in, and we just randomly chose a hotel while surfing on the ipad. How cool is that?

The one room apartment at Laguna Holiday Club Resort (3000 THB/S$140 per night) has a living room, kitchen and bedroom.

Laguna Holiday Club Phuket Resort is great! There’s free WIFI connection in the lobby, the staff are friendly, the place is spacious and it comes with a very beautiful and relaxing pool, but the only downside is that there’s only one restaurant in the hotel.

Fortunately, Laguna Phuket is a holiday paradise of deluxe hotels and villas which includes: Banyan Tree Phuket, Sheraton Grande Laguna, Dusit Thani Laguna Phuket, Laguna Beach Resort, Outrigger Laguna Phuket Resort And Villas, Best Western Allamanda Laguna Phuket and Laguna Holiday Club Resort. There are free shutter services that transport guests to the other hotels, and with 30 restaurants in the area, dining really isn’t a problem.

We hopped over to Sheraton Grande Laguna, which was just opposite of Laguna Holiday Club. Entering the resort, we were greeted by an elongated walkway to the main lobby area. Big is an understatement to describe the Sheraton Grande – the resort is massive! We literally got lost while searching for the Beach restaurant Gekko and ended up at the Poolside restaurant as we were too hungry!

I thought it’s rather weird to order Italian pasta since we should be having Thai food in Phuket. But my partner was craving for it and we decided to get the Spaghetti Bolognese (340THB/S$16). The portion was huge with lots of minced meat, but it tasted pretty ordinary. On the other hand, we thoroughly enjoyed the deep-fried spring roll (190THB/S$9) with the tangy sweet sauce.

This was the only plate of Phad Thai (340THB/$16) that we had throughout the trip, and it was a shame that it wasn’t up to the mark. To be fair, I preferred the dry and light version of the Phad Thai that I had by the street-side. You know what – this is the perfect excuse for me to come back soon!

Poolside Restaurant
Sheraton Grande Laguna Phuket
Cherngtalay, Talang, Phuket
All day dining: 10.30am – 9pm.
Wood-fired pizzas, light meals, snacks and refreshments.

Visiting Phuket without going to Patong Beach and Phuket Town

I know, you are sitting over at your side thinking: “Is he mad? How can anyone go to Phuket without visiting Patong Beach and Phuket town?” When the resort had so many facilities and there were 7 resorts under Laguna Phuket, we didn’t want to leave the Bang Tao area.

Cafe Loma is an all day dining cafe in Laguna Beach Resort which was the perfect place for us since we were looking for lunch at 3pm. Having pizza with coke and margarita by the poolside – this was simplicity at it’s best.

Cafe Loma
Laguna Beach Resort
323 Moo 2 Srisoonthorn road
Cherngtalay, Talang, Phuket

Sadly, the trip was really much too short. But I’m already planning for the next trip since it’s so affordable to fly to the nearby countries. Our last meal on Phuket was a simple Thai dinner at Rim Talay restaurant. With a magnificent view overlooking the lagoon, we had Red Curry and Tom Yum Goong as we bid farewell to Phuket.

Rim Talay
Laguna Beach Resort
323 Moo 2 Srisoonthorn road
Cherngtalay, Talang, Phuket

You know you want a short getaway, and I’m telling you that everyone deserves a holiday. Book the tickets and escape somewhere with your loved one, now!

Laguna Holiday Club Resort Phuket
61 Moo 4 Srisoontorn Road, Cherngtalay, Talang, Phuket

Sheraton Grande Laguna Phuket
10 Lagoona Phuket Choeng Thale, Tha Lang, Phuket

Laguna Beach Resort Phuket
323 Moo2 Srisoontorn Road, Cherngtalay, Talang, Phuket